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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Wires + Yarn

Any Restaurant: Impossible fans? We watched the Holiday: Impossible episode a few days ago. In it, Robert Irvine and his team helped remake the dining hall at the Double H Ranch, a camp for kids with life-threatening illnesses. Part of the new design included inspirational words that the campers made by bending wire, then wrapping it with colorful yarn.

Trevor was enthralled. He desperately wanted to try making yarn-wrapped wire designs. So we did. I dug through the craft room and came up with a package of 20-gauge floral wire. We experimented with bending the wire into legible words (not as easy as it seemed), creating recognizable shapes (easier), and making free-form designs that didn't look like anything specific (very easy). We picked a few of our favorites and tried wrapping them with yarn. Once again, not as easy as it seemed. More experimentation.

Eventually, we realized that it was MUCH easier to wrap the wire with yarn first, tie off the ends, and then bend it into shape. To make this heart, I held red and white yarn together and wrapped them simultaneously around the straight piece of wire, tied them off, then bent the wire into a heart shape. I twisted the extra length of wire around itself to secure the shape and form a handle.

It looks really pretty on our tree.

Trevor was determined to spell his name. He wrapped a piece of wire with color-changing yarn and then shaped it into his name. He left the tied ends long.

Next, Trevor wrapped a piece of wire with red and green yarn. He bent it into a Christmas tree shape, then secured the ends by wrapping brown around the bottom. He glued a yellow wooden star to the top.

Watching him make the tree trunk gave me an idea. I'll share that tomorrow.

That was such a good episode!!! I was teary-eyed through the whole thing! I love Robert Irvine!! I would love to meet him one day and get a hug from those humongous arms! *swoon* :) I LOVE this idea - so easy and adaptable, and it is ADORABLE on your tree! I love it!! :)